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HUD Unveils New Set Of Anti-Discrimination Rules

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DENVER (CBS4) – Every year tens of thousands of complaints are filed against landlords accused of housing discrimination. Now the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development is unveiling a new set of anti-discrimination rules.

The issues surrounding discrimination in housing are central to the success of any community and Colorado is no different. That’s why HUD has announced some new housing rules to stop discrimination. Some of the recent discriminatory practices may come as a surprise to some.

“We have uncovered cases where women on maternity leave; members of families seeking a new and bigger house … if they’re on maternity leave lenders have assumed they are unemployed with no income or no expectation of going back to work,” HUD Assistant Secretary John Trasvina said.

Trasvina says it’s not just a matter of better housing, but fair housing for all, including the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community.

“Last year we looked at our own authority; HUD is a big landlord, HUD has a lot of housing programs. We looked at authority so that we could make sure that our programs and our housing are open to all people,” Trasvina said.

HUD can withhold funding for those found to be a discriminatory landlords, or the housing complex can be completely shut down. However, that’s a last resort since no one wins with an empty neighborhood property.

If you feel you’ve been discriminated against you can file a complaint by calling (800) 669-9777 or visit the HUD website atwww.hud.gov/fairhousing.com.